If you are thinking about buying a greenhouse or glasshouse you should make sure you take the following features into account:

- Check that the ridge height is at least 1.7 m (5 ft 6 in), making sure that you take protruding roof ventilator openings into account.

- The amount of headroom will also depend on the height of the eaves. For a comfortable working space, these should be at least 1.35 m (4ft 6 in).

- Check that the cross bracing on aluminium alloy greenhouses is sturdy enough to make the structure rigid.

- It can be expensive to replace glass of a non-standard size such as those used in a Dutch light greenhouse, so bear this in mind when choosing a design. A standard size is 60 x 45 cm (24 x 18 in) or 60 cm (24 in) square.

- If you are going to need your greenhouse to be consistently warm over the winter, think about installing double-glazing. However, this will increase the cost significantly.

- Bear in mind that the total roof ventilation area should equal one sixth of the floor area  you may need to install additional ventilators.

- Gutters and downpipes are often optional; however, they are very useful for channelling rainwater so that it may be collected and used for watering. They will also prevent rain from flowing from the roof, damaging nearby plants.

- Side ventilators are excellent for providing a through-flow of air during the summer. Make sure that these close tightly to prevent heat loss in the winter.

- Sliding or hinged doors must be at least 60 cm (24 in) wide – more if wheelchair or wheelbarrow access is required, and without a ‘lip’. Sliding doors have the advantage that they can be opened at any width to provide additional ventilation, and will not slam in wind. Make sure that any door shuts tightly and does not let in draughts.

- A kick panel at the base of the door reduces the risk of the glass panel breaking.

- When comparing prices between different greenhouse models or suppliers, bear in mind that a base may be an optional extra. The majority of timber- framed structures will need one. Some bases will come with a step, which may make wheelchair access and wheelbarrow use difficult.

- Any greenhouse that is not attached to a brick base should be secured using ground anchors.

With a wealth of experience Edward is currently writing about the hot tub gazebo and first up gazebo.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/greenhouse-checklist-what-you-should-check-before-buying-a-greenhouse-glasshouse-1783689.html

Our Olive Oil Farm is located at Moshav Beth-Shearim, on the western side of the valley of Jezreel. The olive plantation is about 20 dunams, the trees are 10 years old and we get good crops that are used for making quality olive oil.

The purpose of this article is to describe a unique irrigation method used in our plantation and conclusions related to its effectiveness in water savings and the yielded crops.

The Mediterranean climate enables olive trees to live without irrigation. In modern agriculture olive trees are being irrigated from spring to late fall, about once a week, to expedite the tree growth and to get better crops. On the other hand, olive trees are sensitive to excess of water, thus it is important to irrigate at the proper rate that fits the size of the tree and type of soil.

We use the “Micro-Drip” irrigation method that was developed by our late father, Peretz Rosenberg, for open field and greenhouses, and was adapted to the olive orchard. The drip emitters discharges about 0.5L/H and 3 to 4 are placed around each tree. For such a small discharge the water flow is operated continuously during all the days of the week, starting from March till October. The continuous water flow prevents formation of sediments at the drippers outlets and therefore clogging of drippers is avoided. Obviously this is a superior water saving method. Further details of our irrigation method are provided in our website, link: http://www.olive-oil-farm.co.il/moreng.html

The phenomena of Bi-Annual Alternate Bearing in Olive crops is known all over the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, during several years of operating this irrigation method, we found that our crops are at the higher level every year. We tend to relate this moderation of the Alternate Bearing in our orchard to the unique irrigation method that we apply.

The author, Avner R., is a farmer from Israel, the son of the founder of Ein-Tal company that produces modern irrigation sevices and water filters.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/modern-irrigation-for-olive-orchards-1772256.html